Bishop Earl Fernandes presided over the first profession of vows and the name change for two sisters in the Children of Mary religious order on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at the motherhouse in rural Licking County.
Sister Lillian Emmanuel, CM made her first profession of vows, and Sister Gabriella received a new religious name, Sister Anastasia Rose, CM, during a ceremony at a Mass celebrated by the bishop on the feast of the Presentation of Mary.
Approximately 60 people attended the Mass and ceremony and a brief period of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament that was followed by a reception.
The Children of Mary’s motherhouse and retreat center in the Diocese of Columbus are located in a secluded, wooded area where the semi-contemplative sisters, who were founded more than 20 years ago, carry out their prayer apostolate and host retreats in addition to working with the poor and elderly. The small but growing order also has a sisterhouse in Cincinnati.
Sister Anastasia Rose, the third oldest child from a family of 10 children, was given her religious name while kneeling before Mother Philomena Maria, the order’s prioress, after she was asked to declare her desire to give herself to God as a Sister of the Children of Mary.
Sister Lillian Emmanuel followed with her profession of first vows at the feet of Mother Philomena Maria while kneeling in front of the altar in the chapel.
After stating her intentions, Sister Lillian Emmanuel received a black veil, Eucharistic crucifix and knotted cincture blessed by Bishop Fernandes.
At a sister’s first profession of vows, she trades a white veil for a black veil, which signifies that she is willing to die for Christ and to be the spouse of the Crucified Lord. Her unknotted cincture is exchanged for a knotted one, with the knots representing her decision to be bound by poverty, chastity and obedience and to pray for priests and bishops and to give her life to quench the thirst of Jesus to be loved in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Several sisters surrounded Sister Lillian Emmanuel as they removed the white veil and placed the black veil over her head while she knelt before the altar. After her profession, Mother Philomena Maria and the other sisters who were present embraced Sister Lillian Emmanuel.
Women in religious communities generally advance through several stages before they take their final vows, beginning with postulancy for newcomers that typically lasts one to two years. More traditional orders give the women a religious name to replace their birth names while non-traditional orders abandoned that practice after the Second Vatican Council in favor of keeping their names assigned at birth.
In Bishop Fernandes’ homily, he tied the feast of the Presentation of Mary in the temple by her parents, Anne and Joachim, to the sisters presenting themselves before the Lord in obedience to serve Him as professed religious.
“One sister will take a new name, a sign of a new life,” Bishop Fernandes said. “The other sisters will take her black veil, the crucifix and the cincture with its three knots for poverty, chastity and obedience.
“It’s interesting to meditate on a new name. In the Scriptures, very often a new name is given when one begins a new mission in life, a new way of responding to God’s call.”
The bishop encouraged all of the sisters to meditate on the crucifix frequently and to recognize God’s immense love for the whole world.
“And as you think about the cincture and the knots for poverty, chastity and obedience, I invite you to think about the poverty that all three of these vows represent. On the one hand, the material poverty of the vow of poverty.
“Chastity is a kind of poverty of body that demands a degree of discipline. It’s filled with its joys, but it does demand a discipline of the flesh. And then there is the poverty of obedience. Poverty is not slavish obedience, but true obedience is always rooted in the context of love.
“My dear sisters, you undertake this way of life because of your love for Christ the Bridegroom. He is your true spouse and the fulfillment of your heart’s desires.
“Today is a day of great joy for your community, for your new family. Today is a day of great joy for our local church where you will live and serve.
“Today is a great joy even in the heart of God. He sees how much you love Him. Please know our prayers for you on this very special day. And we ask you to pray for all of us.”